Nicky Silver's play THE LYONS received its world-premiere at the Vineyard Theatre in 2011. The production is a comedic and stirring work about a family grappling with the impending death of its patriarch. When Ben Lyons' wife, Rita, and their grown children gather to say goodbye, they learn that despite being a family, each of them is utterly isolated. Afraid of closeness and afraid of solitude, they are propelled into foreign territory - human connection.
On second viewing now that it has transferred to Broadway, I find the performances broader and the play slighter...One can suspect these changes were effected to accommodate the more mainstream theatergoers of Broadway, but, even if so, I am not scandalized. What worked in “The Lyons” downtown still works. The acting still could not be better. Linda Lavin gives a nuanced (if louder) performance that should not be missed. She may initially seem little more than a quirky caricature but she winds up something more, different, thought-provoking.
One of the reasons we expect so much out of Broadway shows is that they cost so much to see. Nicky Silver's 'The Lyons,' which transferred to Broadway this week, is a clever little dysfunctional-family comedy that contains at least twice its fair share of laughs. Though it's more than a bit of a mess, 'The Lyons' has its moments, and Linda Lavin, the star, is in sensational form. Off Broadway, that amounted to a passable bargain—but is it really worth $126.50 to see an amusing but inconsistent show? All I can tell you is that despite its extreme unevenness, 'The Lyons' is never boring.
2011 | Off-Broadway |
Vineyard Theatre Production Off-Broadway |
2012 | Broadway |
Broadway Transfer Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Linda Lavin |
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Play | Nicky Silver |
2012 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Linda Lavin |
2012 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Production of a Play | 0 |
2012 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Linda Lavin |
2012 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Mark Brokaw |
2012 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | 0 |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Linda Lavin |
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